Heel machine



Aug. 16, 1932. p DRQUKAS 1,871,882

HEEL MACHINE 7 Filed Dec. 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l //v VE/V 70/? @ZK 15% /%MM 3 A g- 1932- P. K. DROUKAS ,88

HEEL MACHINE a Filed Dec. 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w i a i Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 PETER K. DROUKAS, 0F BROGKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MA- CHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF JERSEY HEEL MACHINE Application filed December 10, 1929. Serial No. 413,112.

This invention relates to heel machines, and is herein shown as embodied in a machine for applying a rand to a lift, to form a base for a rubber heel, and trimming oil" the ends of the rand which project beyond the breast edge of the lift.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple machine which will perform either or both of the stated operations rapidly and economically,and which will turn out a uniformly excellent product even though there may be irregularities in the materials operat ed upon.

The well known fact that materials used in the manufacture of heel blanks are not always uniform in thickness and hardness creates a problem in securing together the component parts of such blanks by machinery for the reason that, in the case of existing machines, a machine arranged and adjusted to operate accurately and effectively upon one blank may not operate properly upon the next blank, which may not be of the same thickness as the first or may have irregularities for which provision will not have been made by an adjustment which is correct for the first blank. F or example, in securing together by pressure lifts, or a lift and a rand, which have previously been coated with an adhesive, the machines heretofore used may not distribute the pressure sufficiently evenly over the parts of a blank of irregular thickness to produce secure adhesion throughout.

I'Vith the foregoing in view, the invention provides an improved heel machine presser member having a plurality of yielding pressure applying elements arranged to engage and exert distributed pressure upon the stacked parts of a heel blank, regardless of irregularities in the thickness of the blank or its parts. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the pressure applying elements comprise a series of independently mounted plungers each of which normally projects a substantial distance from the face of the presser member, and is backed up by a strong spring, said plungers yielding when they en- I firmly together.

In accordance with another feature of the invention improved means is provided for trimming one or more of the parts of a heel blank flush with another part thereof. In the machine shown herein the novel trimming means is arranged to trim off the projecting ends of a rand flush with the breast edge of a lift or lifts with which the rand is assembled to make a heel base, and may be so combined with the blank assembling machine that the trimming operation will be performed at the same time that the parts of the blank are pressed together, saving the time ordinarily used in trimming the ends of the rand when that is done separately. As illustrated, the novel trimming means comprises one or more knives and a co-operating slotted cutting-block, arranged for relative movement of sufiicient extent to cause the cutting edge of the knife to enter the slot in the block. Conveniently, the knife may be stationary and the slotted cutting block may be mounted upon, and move with, the presser member by which the heel blank parts are secured together, the cutting block being arranged to press the projecting ends of a rand upon the cutting edge of the knife when the rand and lift'are secured together.

These and other features of the invention will be better understood and appreciated Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section from front to rear of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of part of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view showing the presser member in rear elevation and about to engage the work;

Fig. 6 is a View in front elevation with part of the cutting block broken away to show the manner in which the trimming knife co-opcrates therewith;

Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the positions of the work parts prior to the trimming of the ends of the rand; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the product of the operation of the machine.

v Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 10 indicates any bench or table upon which may rest the base 12 of the machine. To base 12 is suitably secured an assembling form 14 having a cavity of the same sizeand shape as the rear portion of the heel blank to be produced.

At the end of a rearward extension of the base 12, uprights 16 support a shaft 18 which constitutes a pivotal bearing for a forwardly extending arm 20 which carries a presser member indicated generally by the numeral 22.

The arm 20 is normally held in an elevated position by a pull spring 24 hung from a stationary upright 26 mounted in the machine base, the upward movement of the arm being limited by a stationary bail 28, provided with a shock absorbing cushion 30 of leather, rubber, or the like. The arm 20 and presser member 22 are depessed by any suitable means, as a treadle, connected to the arm by a rod 32.

An ejecting plunger 34, for loosening the completed blank and aiding in its removal from the assembling form, is actuated by a lever 36 movable about a stationary pivot 38 and-normally resting in a hooked support 40.

.' An ejector lever operating lifter 42 depending from the arm 20 is provided at its lower end with a hook 44, see Fig. 3, arranged to engage and lift the ejector actuating lever as the arm 20 approaches the limit of its upward T movement.

In order'to insure that a substantially uniformly distributed pressure shall be exerted upon the'parts of a heel blank stacked in the form 14, regardless of irregularities in the thickness of the blank or its parts, the presser member 22 is provided with novel features of construction which will now be described.

Thepresser member as a whole is secured to the arm 20-by a transverse bolt 46 which may be tightened sufliciently to hold the presser member in any angular position to which it is adjusted relatively tothe arm 20, or may beleft loose enough to permit the presser member to adjust itself angularly when it engages, and applies pressure to, the work.

The presser member 22 has a rigid portion 48 (Fig. 5) chambered, as shown at 50, to receive and guide a plurality of plunger-s 52 each of which is provided with a stem 54 movable freely vertically through a hole 56 in the presser member. Each stem 54 is surrounded by a compression spring 58 which tends to move the plunger downward and cause it to project below the general lower surface of the presser member as shown in Fig. 5. Adjustable stop and lock nuts 60, 62 threaded upon the stem 54 limit the clownward movement of the plunger.

Adjustable stop screws 64, 6 6 are also provided to limit the angular movement of the presser member as a whole about the axis of the bolt 46.

As shown in the drawings a knife or knives 68 having an upwardly directed cutting edge or edges 70, is or are secured firmly to the base-12 by bolts 72 passing through slots 74 and threaded into said base. This screw and slot connection permits vertical adjustment of the knife to a proper position to secure the best cutting action and to compensate for wear as the knife is ground away in sharpening. As will be seen by inspection of Figs. 1, 3 and 7, the cutting edge of the knife projects suiiiciently above the surface on which the blank is assembled to cause it to cut off any forwardly projecting portions of the parts of the blank, as the projecting breast ends of a rand which is in process of being attached to a lift, when attaching pressure is applied by the presser member and the blank. is thereby forced down completely into the assembling form.

In order to insure clean and uniform cutting with a minimum dulling of the knife edge, a novel cutting block 76 is provided. The said cutting block maybe rigidly secured to-the presser member, as by screws 78, and-is provided with a slot 80 (Fig. 3) into which the cutting edge 70 of the knife may enter. The part 82 of the cutting block in front of the slot serves to hold down the portion of material which is to be severed, insuring a clean and complete separation and also causes the severed waste material to be deflected downward where there will be no danger that it will'clog the mechanism of the machine.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the knife 68 is centrally notched at 84so that it constitutes virtually two knives with their cutting edges in alinement. The lower face of the cutting block 7 6 is also inclined upward from its central portion toward each side, as illustrated at 86, in such a manner as to cause a progressive cutting action from the center toward'the outer ends of the knife. In the caseof the trimming of the ends of a rand this featurehasa peculiar advantage in that there is a decidedtendency to force the end portions of the rand outward as the cutting progresses, thereby avoiding any danger that they will be misplaced inwardly relatively to the edges of the lift.

In using the machine in the manufacture of heel bases, for example, a lift, as illustrated at 88 in Fig. 7, may be placed in the assembling form 14 which will ordinarily be of such size and shape that the lift will fit closely between it and the rear face of the knife 68. A rand strip 90 to which, as well as the lift, a coating or adhesive, such for example as rubber latex cement, has previously been applied, is placed upon the lift with the outer, thick, edge of the rand fitted to the wall of the cavity in the form 14 and consequently conforming to the contour of the lift which also fits the said cavity. By reason of variation in the quality and stretchiness of the material of which rands are made it is commercially impracticable to provide them of exactly the right length to cause the ends of the rand always to come flush with the breast edge of the lift. It is the practice therefore to make the rand strips somewhat longer than necessary, trimming them flush with the breast edge of the lifts after they are applied thereto. In the pres ent case the ends of the applied rand strip project forward over the knife 68 as shown at 92 in Fig. 7. More than one lift 88 may of course be used if it is desired to make a higher heel base, as shown in Fig. 5.

The parts of the heel blank having been assembled in proper relation to each other as described, the arm 20 is caused to descend, by the actuating rod 32, the presser member being brought down forcibly upon the assembled parts. Concurrently with the appli cation of pressure the projecting ends 92 of the rand strip are cut off and fall away as shown in Fig. 2. The lower faces of the plungers 52, as well as the marginal portion of the lower face of the element 48, are inclined to correspond with the slope of the upper surface of the rand 90, which is ordinarily wedge shaped in cross section.

As the pressure is applied the rand is first engaged by the projecting plungers 52, the springs 58 permitting the said plungers to yield sufficiently to conform to any irregularities in the thickness of the work but being sufliciently stiff to insure the application of considerable, substantially uniformly distributed pressure. The inclination of the lower faces of the plungers, prevents inward displacement of the rand when they yield, and indeed has a tendency to crowd the rand outward into close contact with the wall of the form 14. As the presser member is forced down further its solid portion 48 finally engages and exerts additional pressure upon the parts of the blank causing them to be securely attached to each other by the adhesive.

' The rod 32 is now released permitting the spring 24to elevate the presser member and the ejector34 to operate'to loosen the blank sufficiently to permit it to be readily removed from the machine.

' Having described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is: T

1. In a heel machine, a pressure applying member comprising a plurality of independ-' ent yielding elements having inclined pressure exerting faces constructed and arranged to engage a heel blank at localities spaced apart along the margin of one face of the blank.

2. In a heel machine, a pressure applying member comprising a series of independently yieldable plungers having pressure exerting faces inclined upward and outward to the edge of a heel blank to be operated upon.

3. In a heel machine, a pressure applying member comprising a rigid portion having a pressure exerting face inclined upward and outward to the edge of a blank to be operated upon and a series of chambers opening into said face, and a series of independently yieldable plungers normally projecting from said chambers and having correspondingly inclined pressure exerting faces.

4. In a heel machine, the combination of a presser member, a knife, and a co-operating slotted cutting block, said knife and block being arranged one for movement with the presser member relatively to the other sufficiently to cause the cutting edge of the knife to enter the slot in the block.

5. In a heel machine, the combination of a stationary rand trimming lmife, a movable presser member, and a slotted cutting block movable with the presser member to a position in which the cutting edge of the knife is in the slot in the block.

6. In a heel machine, the combination of a presser member, a straight edged knife, and a slotted cutting block having a work engaging face a portion of which is inclined relatively to the edge of the knife.

7. In a heel machine, the combination of a movable presser member, a straight edged rand trimming knife, and a slotted cutting block mounted upon and movable with the presser member, the work engaging face of the cutting block being oppositely inclined relatively to the cutting edge of the knife from the center toward the respective ends thereof.

8. In a heel machine, a heel shaped pressure applying member comprising a rigid portion having a face shaped approximately to engage the attaching surface of a randed heel and a series of independently yieldable plungers each of which normally projects a substantial distance from the rand engaging portion of said face.

9. In a heel machine, a heel shaped pressure applying member comprising a rigid in-e terior portion arranged to engage the interior portion of one face of a. heel and a marginal portion provided with a plurality of normally projecting, yielding, pressure applying plungers arranged to press upon the marginal portion of said face, of the heel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PETER K. DROUKAS. 

